


Meeting the Queen

by jacquelee



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 18:56:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8221409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacquelee/pseuds/jacquelee
Summary: How the handmaiden met the Queen, based on the events in Queen in Disguise. Focus is on Rabé but there also is quite a lot of Sabé and Padmé.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I only read (detailed) summaries of Queen in Disguise, so this might not be entirely accurate, but well, this is my take on how it could have gone. Also, I do not think that the girls would not have recognized Padmé as the Queen if they had met her face to face before, even in her disguise as handmaiden, so in this version, they did not meet her before these events, which I think is much more plausible than that they knew her and don't recognize her. 
> 
> Written for [comment_fic](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com) for the prompt "Star Wars, Padme Naberrie + Amidala's handmaidens, first meetings".

Clutching her leg and still trying to hide in the shadows behind the waterfall, Rabé cursed the rogue droid and her bad luck. Why did it have to be her? She had been so determined to show that her fighting skills rivaled her talents in make up and hairdressing and now this! 

Trying to keep her weight off of her sprained ankle and still getting a glimpse of what was going on out there, Rabé tried to get to the edge of the cave behind the waterfall without making herself a target again. Still, she couldn't see anything and so she returned to the shadows to wait.

Hopefully, by now Sabé had been able to shut off the droid, or at least disable it long enough for the others to get help. As far as Rabé had seen, Sabé had been helped in her initial attempts to destroy the droid by the new recruit, who seemed to be very competent. What was her name again? Right, Padmé. 

Rabé hadn't talked to her before this debacle happened but she had seen that Sabé had immediately struck up a friendship with the new handmaiden, which hadn't surprised her, since Sabé was generally always very friendly to everyone. And being so close together basically all the time, most of the girls were close friends by now, maybe with the exception of Eirtaé who didn't much approve of friendship since the protocol did not require it. 

Hearing something, Rabé tried to hobble further into the shadows of the cave, fearing that it would be the droid, but thankfully it was Padmé, who now came towards her smiling. Behind her was Sabé, who stayed at the entrance of the cave holding a cable on which both of them must have come up here.

Padmé now kneeled besides Rabé, still smiling. 

"Don't worry, the droid is gone. Sabé and I were able to destroy it."

"Yes, you should have seen it, it was an awesome maneuver! Padmé is about to take your title as best fighter among us, just wait for it! There'll come a day where we'll both be grateful for her to be here with us and not just because one of the training droids went berserk." 

The enthusiasm in Sabé's voice was palpable and made both Padmé and Rabé laugh. Then Rabé turned serious again and looked into Padmé's eyes.

"Thank you for having my back."

"That's what this is about, isn't it? Us having each other's back?" 

Rabé smiled and nodded. 

"Yes it is."

Padmé offered Rabé her arm, which the girl took, heaving herself off the ground with some difficulty seeing that her ankle was throbbing fiercely when Sabé chimed up from the entrance again. 

"Yes, that's what it is about indeed. And all of us having the royal back of her Highness of course. Hope she appreciates that."

Sabé and Rabé laughed, but Padmé who was helping Rabé walk to the cave entrance, remained oddly serious. 

"Yes, she does," Rabé looked at her curiously and she shrugged, laughing too now, even though some seriousness seemed to remain, "I mean I'm sure she does. If she knows what you do here, for her, I mean, who wouldn't appreciate it?"

Rabé still sensed something more behind that answer and Padmé's sudden seriousness, but having reached Sabé now she let it drop, since the question of how to get back down to the training grounds seemed far more pressing. Padmé looked at Rabé.

"I guess with that ankle it's the best if you and I get down on the cable. Sabé do you think you can climb down on your own?"

"Of course! No problem."

Sabé started climbing down immediately and Padmé advised Rabé how to best hold on to the cable to get down safely. Once they were back on solid ground, Rabé sat down, happy to be able to rest her ankle, while Padmé stood next to her, looking out for the others. 

This gave Rabé some time to observe the new handmaiden. Even though their adventure had been short, Padmé had clearly been the one taking charge immediately, which seemed completely natural to Rabé and as she had seen to Sabé too, even though normally the latter was the one taking the lead in their training exercises. 

There was just something about Padmé that convinced Rabé, and evidently Sabé too, that she knew what she was talking about and that it was a good idea to follow her suggestions without them having the feeling of being actually ordered around, which always happened when Eirtaé took charge in anything. 

Being with Padmé was a very comfortable feeling of having someone on their side who knew exactly what to do but who still exuded the air of being willing to listen whenever they had better suggestions. For Rabé, who was hugely uncomfortable by everything that had happened this day, this kind of reassurance and leadership was exactly what she needed.

She smiled up at Padmé, thinking about how she already had taken to the girl very much after knowing her so shortly. Sabé was right, it was a good thing to have Padmé in their circle. To have another girl they could rely on no matter what. 

Rabé was taken out of her musings by Sabé arriving, who must have climbed down from the waterfall in record time and who was now hugging Padmé and Rabé, clearly relieved and euphoric that their adventure had ended with everyone safe and reasonably uninjured.

After a few more minutes Captain Panaka and the other girls arrived too, the latter shouting their relief and also giving hugs all around, with the exception of Eirtaé, who as always stood a little by the sidelines and frowned upon these displays of affection. 

Captain Panaka also did not join in with them and instead stood in front of Padmé, and, to everyone's surprise bowed deeply before her.

"Your Highness, I commend you. You exceeded my expectations," he looked around the suddenly silent and stunned handmaidens, finding Rabé's and Sabé's gazes in particular, "you all have. I am very proud of all of you today."

For a few moments nobody said anything, all of them just staring open mouthed at Padmé, who seemed quite uncomfortable with how her secret was revealed. All of them seemed to try to put the wet, dirty and commonly dressed handmaiden before them together with the glamorous Queen Amidala. 

They all of course had seen pictures of the newly elected Queen before, but never out of make up and certainly never dressed as a handmaiden. This was a shock for all of them and for a few moments none of them knew what to do. 

Then Rabé broke the silence. 

"Your Highness? You are Queen Amidala?"

Padmé nodded and the other girls seemed to finally realize what that meant and, starting with Eirtaé, whose usual frown had deepened even more now, quickly bowed down to the person they only minutes before had thought was one of them. 

Trying to bow down in her position on the floor, Rabé now realized why Padmé had been so serious before and she also quietly congratulated the citizens of Naboo on their choice of a ruler. If today was any indication, Queen Amidala would do a fantastic job. 

For now, she seemed to be very uncomfortable with this display of servitude. 

"Please, don't bow to me. Captain Panaka told me that you are to be my bodyguards and my most trusted allies. That one of you would stand in for me as my double when the need arises." 

With those words, she looked specifically at Sabé, who was getting up again, as were the other girls. Rabé for the first time realized how similar Padmé and Rabé were in looks, same height, same hair color, same mouth, same nose. 

Yes, Sabé would do very well as a double for Padmé, even though Rabé herself saw that their eyes were very different. But as long as people weren't looking directly into their eyes and with all the make up traditionally worn by the Queen this should not be a problem. 

Sabé herself seemed to have understood the implication. 

"I will be proud to be of help in any way I can," and switching her tone a little, with a side glance to Eirtaé and Captain Panaka, she added, "I stand by what I said in the cave. If you do, your Highness."

Eirtaé seemed to be very close to getting a stroke confronted with this outrageous breach of protocol and Captain Panaka frowned slightly. But Padmé seemed to understand. She smiled brightly and offered Sabé her hand. 

"I wanted to see for myself that I am not sending girls into danger without them being prepared. But after today I know that that will not be the case. And I will be as proud to protect you as a handmaiden as I will be being protected by you. All of you." 

With that, she offered her other hand to Rabé, who took it and got up as best as she could. For a moment, the three girls stood with their arms linked. And in this moment they knew that this day had set the foundation for a friendship neither of them had ever experienced before. 

From this day on, they were sisters.


End file.
